Google has announced the December line-up of games available to its Stadia Pro premium subscribers.
The news is eaglerly awaited given these early months will likely be the bellwether for what Google Stadia Pro subscribers can expect for their monthly dues. In December those going whole hog, will gain access to Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and Farming Simulator 19: Platinum Edition on December 1 at 5pm GMT (12pm eastern time in the US).
Those two games will join Destiny 2: The Collection and Samurai Shodown, meaning this is the second month in a row, Pro subscribers have received two free games. The Pro tier is primarily designed to give Stadia gamers access to premium features 4K/HDR streaming, 5.1 sound and exclusive discounts, but free games are also part of the equation.
Related: Google Stadia review
Back in July director of product for Stadia, Andrey Doronichev said the platform wouldn’t be a Netflix for Games. In a Reddit AMA, he said: ” “To be clear, Stadia Pro is not ‘Netflix for Games’ like some people have mentioned, a closer comparison would be like Xbox Live Gold or Playstation Plus.”
He said there’d “roughly one free game per month give or take. Starting with Destiny 2.”
All Stadia Premiere Edition gamers get a free three-month trial for Stadia Pro, but after that expires, it costs $9.99 per month. Those free games are going to be important given the line-up of titles available to buy at launch is still growing.
They include: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Borderlands 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Darksiders Genesis, DOOM, FINAL FANTASY XV, Football Manager 2020, Gods & Monsters, GRID, Just Dance 2020, Marvel’s Avengers, Mortal Kombat 11, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, The Elder Scrolls Online and Wolfenstein: Youngblood.
In our review of Google Stadia published shortly after the launch this month, we pegged it as very much a work in progress, awarding it a respectable 3.5/5 stars. Our reviewer bemoaned the missing features at launch, lack of offline mode and poor video compression.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
